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We d n e S d a y
March 2
Saul’s Jealousy of David: Part 2
Read
1 Samuel 19. What path can you see Saul on? What lessons are
here for us?
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Saul, at first, worked with some stealth and subtlety in seeking to
remove the perceived threat of David. When that didn’t work, he came
right out into the open with his murderous plans. Most likely he, at first,
never dreamed he’d go that far. However, once the floodgates are opened
to sin, none of us realize how far down the wrong path sin can lead us.
Killing David became an obsession. Saul’s negative feelings, first
harbored when women sang and danced to honor David, soon reached
the point of murderous attempts on his life. In chapters 18 and 19
alone we find eight specific attempts, either mandated or perpetrated
by Saul himself, to murder David.
The rest of the story is a sad one, as things grew worse for Saul. As
his hatred and jealousy increased, he became irrationally suspicious of
David, obsessive about killing him, and frightened of the surrounding
Philistines. On the excuse that they had sided with David, he killed 85
priests of the Lord and many men, women, children, infants, and farm
animals in the priestly town of Nob (1 Sam. 22:17–19). Look at where
he was being led!
Full of terror because of the Philistine incursion, he asked the Lord
what to do. But Saul had gone too far away from God, turning down
divine advice too many times, so he did not obtain an answer. He chose,
therefore, to consult an evil spirit through a witch, a practice that he
himself had abolished. He even bowed down and prostrated himself with
his face to the ground before the evil spirit, which was impersonating
the deceased Samuel (1 Sam. 28:14). This was the beginning of his end,
for the following day he and his sons lost their lives to the Philistines
(1 Samuel 31), as forewarned by the evil spirit, obviously a demonic
manifestation.
Saul, by letting jealousy take root, followed a path to complete
apostasy and ruin. Worse, his sin brought suffering not only on him-
self but on his own family. Sin is bad enough when it hurts us as indi-
viduals. Rarely, though, is the damage and pain so localized. In most
cases, our wrong deeds impact others negatively, as well.
Look at all the cases we’ve seen so far. In each example the jeal-
ousy and the results of that jealousy had far-reaching consequences,
most likely not anticipated by the one who first harbored the emo-
tion. How crucial, then, that we by God’s grace seek to die to self the
moment this ugly emotion arises in our hearts.